This question was sent in by a college student who wants to get a highly-paid computer programmer job while still at college.

If you have questions about your software developer career, be sure to post it as a comment on this page and it will be answered.

Here is the Computer Science Student’s Question:

Hello,

I stumbled onto your website as I was googling around in order to find out some information about programming, etc.

In particular, what is the big picture (?), what should I (or shouldn’t I) spend my time on?…I guess you could say that I am looking for a road map of web/or software programming.

I should say that I am currently taking a class (and getting absolutely slaughtered) in C++…and just took a class last Spring in HTML and basic web stuff.

Honestly, I despise the typical college course method of spoon feeding (you) a bunch of junk that (you) really don’t need and taking (you) down a hundred pointless rabbit trails, etc.

I figure that there has GOT to be an easier way…

I guess that I am just weighing my options as to what direction I should go in (if at all).

I am currently working as a designer (mostly print design for the past couple years)…and have been looking towards expanding my skill set.

I am intrigued about software development but it seems like ONE BIG MOUNTAIN to scale to get to the point where I might like to be.

I like the idea of what you seem to be saying but I have to say that I have some skepticism because of my past experiences and built in pessimism!

If you could get me to the place of earning the kind of money that you are talking about in the short amount of time that you say…then I will sell your products for you!

Career Advice For Computer Science College Students

Software Developer Career Help

The big picture is that you want to be either a full-time business software developer or a contact programmer.

The big difference is that Contract programmers get paid a lot more but they also bear more risk.

It’s okay for you to learn C++ for your school. But in the real-world, you want to focus on everything Microsoft .NET because employers prefer that to hiring for C++ programmers.

Software Development is actually quite easy. It’s the tools that make it hard. I know because I started with C/C++ and I quit within a year. Only to come back later for a different set of tools.

College is okay, especially if you can afford it. I had to learn how to deal with boredom too. I solved the boredom issue by having a life outside the class-room that centered on solving real-world problems.

The Software Developer Boot Camp training is appropriate for your situation. We cover ASP.NET, C#, Microsoft .NET and you also get the hands-on programming skills that’s highly valued by employers.

More Career Advice For You

Learn Microsoft.NET: C/C++ is not the programming language of choice for corporate programmers. ASP.NET, C# (or VB.NET) and SQL Server are the programming languages for highly paid corporate programmers.

Follow Market Demand: Employers are hiring for Microsoft.NET skills because Microsoft.NET has a faster learning curve and a better application development tme compared to C/C++.